Hydropneumatic bucket cleaner



July' 17, 1934. A. J. PENOTE HYDROFNEUMATIC BUCKET CLEANER Filed April 30, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 17, 1934. A PE TE. 1,966,597

HYDROPNEUMATI C BUCKET CLEANER Filed April 30, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuento'o Patented July 17, 1934 .gUNl-TED ;.;S.TA' ES PATENT OFFICE Hy ROPNEUMATICBUCKETCLEANER L Augustus J; Penote, Shaker Heights, Ohio! I I humanism .30, 1932, ser al No, 608 ,423 ei-claims (cl mp- 144) w W My invention -relates to hydro-pneumatic bucket cleaners, andm'ore especially to cleaning devices for-cleaning the moving buckets mounted upon power driven excavating machines; whether of the wheel or ladder type. "For purposes of'illustration, :I- have illustrated my bucket cleaners as applied to an excavator in which the excavating "is accomplished byan endless series of buck- .ets whicharecaused to travel up and down a boom by means of sprocket chains orIother end- :less ."members, 'so' that the buckets are filled 'while moving "upward against the end. wall of the :trench, and in which'each'bucket is intended to discharge its load when turned upsidedown inthe upper end of its path of travel,-my improvement providing means for continuously'discharging the contentsof each bucket as "it breaches its highest .point ofitravel; as above stated; My cleaner is pivot'ed on one or' more levers which 'are;pivota1lyfmounted on an horizontal axis, the cleaner mechanism removing thecontents of veach bucket" as the latter passes said pp rmost' positioni 1" One of :t-he obiec'tsoi my invention is topic- *v;dean excavating machine with continuously "and eiiec'tively' operating mean's' for discharging th'e'contehts of each bucket as it reaches the uppermost pointin -its' pathof 'travei and to so cause the bucket discharging means to function without. possibility'bf damage tothe machine due to breakage orpa'rtsof the discharge mech 'anism. because of fa'ilure oi "obstructions such as-stones and-similar obstacles-to clear the passage: through which the" bucketsiare'intended to pass intheir normal continuoust'ravelv I T A still further? objectofmydmprovement lies in the provision'of special mechanism 'for'yielding to theundue'straln to which the buckets are subjectediwhensuch obstacles "are presented as before explained, 'and still have the inherent capacity or return'in'gto their normal relation i and .position of parts after such obstacles'are removed. I 'I'hisparticular obje'ct'for providing such yielding mechanism is attained by employirig. for the present' yielding means, as a substitute for almost universallyus'ed'spring'coils and other metallic yielding devices Whichare'found to he so'zsusceptibl'e' to breakage when subjected to the strainre'quired, a hydro-pneumatic means having much less-liability to fracture' when used in the'moreithan ordinarily rough manner requ red in the excavating service for which such heavy machinesyare.sintende'd': With therabove andiiother'ob'jects in .view m y invention consists" in the. novel features oftcon struction and arrangrnent of parts to be hereinafter morefully described,- claimed and illus trated 'in the accompanying drawings which,- a: Figurel isatfragmentary side 'elevationo'f an excavating machineprovid'ed withmy improved bucket and cleaner mechanism, including 'my novel hydro-pneumaticyielding device; I

-Figur'e' 2'is acentral vertical section of th u'p per portion of the elevato'r .of an excav'ator to"- gether' with the supporting boom and'a' cleaner mechanism-"for the buckets, the section being taken in the-plane indicated" by th'e line-2"2 Of Fig.'3; 3 I 11" I? 1 1H; lsi' Figure 3 is a detail transverse section'takeninthe plane indi'catedby theline 33*o1' Fig; 2;

Figure 4 is a central 'vertica'k section "'offthe upper portion of: the elevator-of "an excavatorto- 'gether with'the supporting boom anda modi-fied form of hydro-pneumatic :yielding lim'e' hanism 'for the bucket cleaning mechanism; the -section being taken in'the' plane indicated by theiine 4'-4'OfFig.5j "Figure 5 isa fragmentarypianview'ofthe p per portion of the elevator andcleaning'mech'a nism' combined with the modified formoiy'iel'ding device; I Figure-6 is a detail 'section taken in the plane indicated bythe line 6-6 of Fig; 4, and i Figure 7 is a detail sectionof theair vent take in-the plane-indicated by the -1ine'7'--7-o"f Figni.

My machineframe 5 is mountedaupon afisupe porting'carriag '6 andwillinclude amotor '7, sum porting masts 8 having '=mounted thereonfby means of a'cross shaft 11; a rearwardly extending boom 9 over which endless carriersm travel-i- Cable-"mechanism 12 and" motor actuated-reel 13 may swing the boom on shaft 11.- Atseries-of buckets 14 carried by the chains 10 present a cut- .95 ting edge 15 toward the-trench .wall'as they rise "on the lower-side of the boom. Awpair of sprocket wheels 16 ismoun'ted'upon the shaftll, and other pair similarly mountedn-at'thetlower gend of the boom -9, these, sprocketsiproviding' rotatable 390 mounting i for the chains, "and the shaft 11 funnishing driving :power for the bucket chains through suitable'geari'ng 17. i The buckets 114 are of well known 'constructionxand are, secured to certain links: of thechains :10 at. suitably spaced intervalsand each bucket has its frontend open and is tapered at itsrear end; thev-carriervlchains lorbeing-spaced apart. :As the bucketstravel up.- wardly and move over and around theyupper sprocketzwheels lfigtherear ends-18 of;the,,buckets use are tilted away from the chains, so as to bring the inner sides downward, discharging the load. While each bucket is traveling upward however, the position thereof is such that it will carry the load. The upper end of the boom 9 has brackets 19 suitably secured thereto as by similar fasteners 20, the upper ends of the brackets providing suit able bearings 21 for the cross shaft 11.

The cleaning mechanism used in my "construction comprises a cleaner member 23 having a curved form as seen in side elevation, with the lower end of the arc pivoted at 24 to the bracket 19 at a point somewhat beneath the main shaft 11, so thatthe arc is positioned in enclosing relation to such shaft. The opposite end of the member 23 is extended in a substantial tangent to said are to provide an elongated cleaner arm 25 which is provided at its outer end 26Wi-th -'a scraper plate or blade 27 whose function to dislodge the contents of each bucket '14 successively, as the latter travel with the chains over the sprockets lfi. The front end of each bucket adjacent its (cutting edge 15, is open and thereby permits the curved scraper 27 to enter the bucket and pass through the same fromifront to rear, during the dumping operation, as the parts are shown :in relative position :in :Figs. 2 and dot the drawings.

By mounting the cleaner member at 24 beneath the shaft 11, the curved edge -"of the plate 27 will be :made to "approach very closely the bottemof each bucket 14 when the latter has tilted "into discharging position as before explained.

The relative position of the centers, 1d and '24 which mark the radii of the curves or arcs determining the paths of movementof the buckets 14 and scraper blades '2'],- respe'ctively, serves not only to establish the path of movement of the bucket in the arc 28,-shown clearly inFigs. 2 and i as the router are, and the movement of the scraperblade in the zarc 2Q, the two arcs gradually separating as the emptied buckets travel downwarden the upper or'outer sidenf the'boom 9; :but such established positions of the arcual centers veryipositivelyimove the said blades 2 on the arm c'losefproximity to the bucket inner surface when the desi-red scraping action is most-desired and at the proper position of the bucket for discharge of its contents, and also resulting in a gradual separation of the parts as the latter swing-cn their spaced pivots; I

Since the buckets :14 are carried continuously on the endless chains I 0, and the scraper blade 2"! :is mounted on the brackets .19 as :a relatively stationary element for cleaning each bucket as the l'atter travels over. the blade, it is found expedient to provide a means for permitting the scraper blade to yield, when theresistance "encountered by theiscraper member .is so great that great danger exists of fracture of parts, if the mounting of the cleaner arm were positive and unyielding. Such abnormal resistance to the cleaner action of the bladel27 to the bucket :14 may bedue to the general character of the ma- :terial beings'excavatedpor may be due to the presence or metallic articlesor-stone carried up in the buckets until the discharging point of the carqfer is Breached-end the obstacle is too large to pass =tl 1rougl=1 the bucket. I

It has not been "found desirable to mount the cleaner "arm to yield lto'o readily "to the encounbered obstruction in the bucket, since .it is well to -"op'erate"the cleaner with as :great :force "as it hahxeft. 1

While Ilia've' not -proviiiirdiin myyielding mechanism for the cleaner arm 25, a positively actuating mechanism for moving the scraper blade 2'7 through the buckets, I have found it particularly practicable to mount the cleaner member to yield to obstruction within the buckets by two wholly different and dissimilar means of presenting the cleaner blade to the load to be discharged. One of these yielding devices comprises the mounting of the bucket carriers and the cleaner arms on spaced centers, so that as the obstruction presents greater resistance to removal, the blade 27 will yield on its pivot and also travel at a gradually greater distance from the bucket. Anotherylelding means for the cleaner arm has beenfoun'd to be highly advantageous, the same consisting of a hydro-pneumatic re sistance mechanism which I have found well adapted for mounting upon the boom, and providingsuitable actuating connections between a piston working in a hydraulic drum and the said a'rm. I am therefore able to provide a 'plu'ral yielding means for the cleaner.

My hydro lpne'umat-ic mechanism 'foryieldingly holding the'cleaner blade 27 in= normal and sta- 'tio'nar-y position, is preferably formed of two 35gb 'drums of elongated form which are in a substam tially common plane with the boom 9 and the carrier chains, and spaced from the ends of the boom. The lower ends of the drums will :have a substantially common bottom, and one -oi more i935 openings leading from the lower endofone drum to that of the other. The lower ends of the :drums will normally holdasui tabl'e liquid, such as oil, and *onemf the drums fitted with a suitable pressure gauge.

In my preferred form, I have shown in Figs. -2 and 3, the two drums mounted one within the other, the inner "drum 22 mounted in spaced relegtion from the outer drum and eccentric thereof. -A common bottom 34 supports the two drinns'ms which also have their tops in a substantially common plane.

. In the drum 22 aspiston 30 is "mounted for :reciprocation, so that the lower end of thedrum containing the liquid 31 which is permitted to :2 now through the openings 32 in such --lower "end into the outerdrum :33, :may resist the downward thrust of said piston. The -latter is mount'e'd upon a piston rod 35 which'is longitudinallymovable through the apertured closure 36 which is provided with suitable 'stulfing box structure 37 for the purpose. The uppere'ndof the rod 35 is c'onnectedby the yoke 38 with the rpivoted cleaner 7 member 23 by :thepin 39. so that yielding of the scraper-blade 2'7 to an obstruction in the bucket 14 will force the piston :rod 35 and the 'piston -30 downward against the liquid :31 in the "drum 22 and so force the liquid through the said lateral openings 32 out into the outer drum 33. The combined drums 22 and 33 are 'mounted for 71:35 slight swinging ,motion upon a substantially horizontal transverse pivot pin 40 supported at its ends upon frame members-41 which aremoufited fixedly .at their ends upon the boom structure 9. The common bottom 34 has an attached sleeve A2 enclosing the said stationary :pin "40 thereby providing means for rocking the drums as a unit upon the pin 40.

- The outer drum 33 is provided asacompression chamber whose upper portion will be filled with air, and the upperend 43 will be provided with an air valve'i for loading, so that the air chamber 45 will yieldingly resist the inflow of liquid from the openings 32, as the .piston'30 descends in the drum 22 in yielding to the rearwardmovem'nt ten of the scraper b1ade;27,.-. -Thepiston 30. will there-. fore be resisted :in its descent bythe :restricted. openings 32 andby the air compressed in) the chamber 45 byjthe infiowing liquid. from-zthe inri ner drum 22.;- Above the piston 39, the drum 22' is provided with tanair releas e;va 1ve:. 6; of 0011-." ventional design to permit escape of ai irfrom the drum by increased internal-pressure;"but :pre= venting entrance of air from the "outside-under normal pressure. yThiS permits escape-of-air on-the up-stroke' of the piston; I

.As the piston; reciprocates inpthe .dr um.2 2 the I yoke member ,38. swings laterally slightly. as. shown in Fig.2 of .the drawings but which move: ment is in reality; in laplane-in the direction;v of the advancement of the machineas a :resultot the pivot pin 39 slightly-approachingand receding from the cross shaft 11. 'Such swinging of the yoke and the rod attached-thereto produces a corresponding; rocking movement of: the.;con-. nected drums 22 and- -33. on thepivot; as above explained. This provisionof the rod 35; and-yoke 38 with a common ari's-avoidstheotherwise essential connection of =the piston rod-with the-p n 39 .bya separate link member, as. will beiobvious; The position of; the yoke .memberandcleaner member 23when the scraper blade 2'7is inits extreme rearward .or,wi thdrawn position of movement in the bllCkQl},;'lS,-Sh0WIl-l1fl dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The cleaner-member23 is operated as alever ofthe third class, the resistance being encountered where thescraper blade 27 engages the materialjbeing discharged from the. buckets; and when such blade has receded from the full-line position shown, gases before compressed; the chamber by a former. down stroke of thepiston; will force the liquid baek throug-h the openings 32, raising-the piston and swingingqthescleaner arm 25 and its. blade. 27 back to its normal position'of impact. for; discharging the material in the. bucket, I j' r I the last four views of the drawings, .l have illustrated an alternativeformof hydro-pneu matic yielding. mechanism and its connection with the cleaner membeI -IZB, this modifiedfm'echanism including "two elongated drums-47 and t'pq mounted. side .by side {n.a commen-planewiththe boom 9, the drum. 50 being relatively longer, while the lower ends of the drums will-have a substantially common bottom a'nd the side-walls. of the drums beingvery slightly spaced apart. The upper end of drum ,50 is provided-with the conventional loadingvalve 71. Y

The two. drums of the modified forrn V mounted fixedlyinntheboom, parallel sp'aced guide bars 48 being providedin a; plane at. right angles to thecommon plane of the drums and carriers, andalso parallelto the -piston .rod--49.

' These guide bars have-guide slots 51 .in whichj the ends of a transverse, connecting pin-52 travel, this pin. engages the transverse opening 53inthepiston-rod and the openings54-in the forked ends 55 of a connecting llink 56, certain guide blocks 57 suitably spacing the flouter ,surfaces ef therorkfrom thewallspf-the slots- 5 13; A- suite able L bracket 58 serves to support tlce}barsv 48 upon the drum 50 which --inturn. is supported upon the main boomstructure 9. 1-

In the drum 47 the piston 59reciprocates which; is mounted upon thepiston rod 49;:which latter is longitudinally movable through i-the1-apertured closure 60.- :Thelinkxfifi ispivoted .tothecleaner. member 23 'bya-fork engaging .;the-rpin;6l. The

lower ends of drums 47 and 5 0 willnormally holdt -bel employed is :not shown; otherfthan asuitableliquid-such as oil, and 'an L-shaped channelfiZ leads fromthe drum-47 into the bottom of; the drum 50, said channel being provided with adrain plug63, and the drum 50 fitted with a. sui tabletpressure gauge64, 'Theoperation of the piston 59, and the consequent pressure exerted against-the liquid-to force the same through the; restricted channel .62 into the drum 50, is very similar-to that of the piston 30 andv the flow of liquid. through the openings 32 into the outer drum 33,- ofthe preferred form. .=Abov e .t h'e piston 59, the drum47 is provided with an airrelease. valve comprisingv a ball 68 normallyyieldinglypressed against the valveseat 67bythecoiluspringtil detachably mounted out- I side. thefwall nof the drum and securedtherein by suitable plug 69. .A lateral aperture'mperr'nitsfv escape. of from-the enclosing. tube, and the 1 coil 1 will yield ,.to outward pressure. when the .piston59 rises in respons'eto the lifting force ortheliquid, as the blade z'lreturns to its normaipositionof impact. 1 a .Th'ef operation. of. myimproved hydro-pneumane, bucket cleaner'as; above described. is unique .andfefiectiveqf This. is, due in great part to the greatlydesired'pivotingLof the member 23 at the point 1.24, almost directly beneath' the cross shaft '11.' This" arrangement makes feasible the pivoting of .jthejiork, 38for link 56..at 61, between the outer end 26. an'dthe fulcrum 24, therebyefiect ing'a yieldingmoyement of the scraper 27 by a much shorter stroke of the piston and its rod, thanwouldjotherwise be possible, though-my improved pneumatic resistance pump would sufier 1" from extremjlengthof stroke, than would a co l prinjg heretofore. made use .of for permitting yieldinginovement of the scraper responsive to .undui s'train by abnormal obstacles in the bu k n nifi 3 J j 'Thefdistancetravellediby the pivot 40'is obviously only about, half lthejdistanceyielded by thebla'de' z zwhen; an abnormal mm is encountered andjor the same reason, the return stroke at he scraper to :norm a1 position is equallyl'posi; tive, rapid and effectiyeQ/To accomplish such efficientfmechanic'al operation of the device; I have formed-my cleanergmember 2'3 as-an approximate arc of -1 8 0j degrees operating as an encircling for hookf'swi'nging about the shaft 11; and therebypermittingthe fulcrum pivot 24 below such shaft wm1e 'the scraper 27 duite out of alinement'withany twoof the points 11, 24'and 3 Any yielding movement of thescraper therefore; resultsfinthe recessionof theme'niber 23'f'rorir'the -sha'ft'j11'. h ff r 3 "rnepressu're crime material contained within the" v i'ngbuckettendsto'rockthecleaner '23 counterclockwiseas seen in'F ig. 2, en its fulcrum 24, thereby forcing the piston 30 downward in thedrum' j22,- raising the level'of the liquid 31 in the 'drum '33; correspondingly compressing the air 43; This compression will exert a'contin'uou's upward thrust of the piston until relieved;

will 'be n'eededfor receiving material dumped trom' the bucketswhile'the latter are inthe position -indicated-in:Figs. 2 and 4 of the'drawings, but-since thissinvention'is not especially concerned-with'jthe. type of such'mechanismto be employed-forthis purpose, it has not'been illustrated nor :ide'scribed indetail. It isto be understood'that the'di-g'g'ing mechanism will be driven from the *sha'ft 1131but1the' particular driving connection between-x the said shaft and the motor the embodlmentinpartof-the' gearing 17.

What i desire to secure by" Letters Patent, is-- 1.- In a trenching machine the combination of an endless series of rear-end-discharge dig gin-g and conveying buckets, a boom mounted to swing on anuppermost shaft in a vertical plane,- for mounting said series an endless path, a bucket cleaner pivota-ll'y supported to pass through each bucket for removing from said buckets the material carried thereby by impact therewith, and hydro-pneumatic means mounted on said boom to yieldingly resist movement of said cleaner by said impact, said means including drums having their lower ends connected to permit liquid communication from one to the other, one of said rums serving as a cylin dei, a piston reciprocating therein, and means connecting said piston with said pivoted cleaner.

2. In a trenching machine the combination of endless conveyor, a plurality of buckets carried by said endless conveyor, a boom mounted to swing on the uppermost shaft of the conveyor for supporting the latter and a bucket cleaner mounted to pass through each bucket successiveiv for removing therefrom material by impact therewith, said cleaner being pivotally mounted upon a fixed support to normally swing intopo sition closely adjacent the bucket bottoms, and an hydro-pneumatic mechanism mounted on said boom to yieldingly resist movement of said cleaner on its pivot away from its normal posi-" tion, said mechanism including drums having their lower ends connected by at least one means for permitting liquid communication tnerebetvveen, one of said serving as a pump cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, and means connecting said piston with said pivoted cleaner,

In a trenching machine the combination oi an endless conveyor, a plurality of buckets carried by said endless conveyor, a boom mounted to swing on the uppermost shaft oi the conveyor for supporting the latter and a bucket cleaner pivotally mounted upon a hired support to pass through each bucket successively for removing therefrom the contents thereof by impact themwith, the path of the cleaner through each bucket being in an are gradually receding from the path of the bottom of the bucket, and hydro-pneumatic mechanism mounted on said boom to yieldingly resist movement of the cleaner on its pivot by saidimpact, said mechanism including drums one of which is eccentrically mounted longitudinally within the other, the drums having a substantially common bottom and restricted communicating openings laterally between their lower ends, one of said drums serving as a pump cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, and means connecting said piston with said pivoted cleaner intermediate its ends. i

4; In a trenching machine the combination of an endless conveyor, a boom mounted to swing on the uppermost shaft of the conveyor for supporting the latter, a plurality of buckets carried by said conveyor, a bucket cleaner mounted to pass through each bucket successively by a sweeping action, and an hydro-pneumatic device for resisting movement of the cleaner in at least one direction "and returning the cleaner to a normal position, said device includinga pump mounted on said boom and an actuating connection between said pump and said bucket cleaner.

5. In a trenching machine the combination of a swinging digging bear'n, an endless series of rear-end-discharge digging and conveying buck ets on said beam, the said bucket series having a common conveying shaft with the pivot shaft or said beam, an elongated bucket cleaner pivotally supported on the upper end oi said beam but beneath said pivot shaft,- to normally swing into po ition closely adjacent the bucket bottoms as the latter travel rearwardly and downwardly to empty their contents, said cleaner having its lower end curved counter-clockwise about said beam pivot, the eccentric pivoting of the cleaner and the beam directing the cleaner in a path through each bucket in an are gradually receding from the path of the bottom of the bucket, and hydro-pneumatic means plvotally connected to said cleaner intermediate its ends to yieldingly move the cleaner on its pivot into a position nearestthe bottom of the bucket, said hydropneuinatio means including drums mounted on said beam beneath the cleaner pivot and having a substantially common bottom and a restricted communicating opening between their lower ends,- one of said serving as a pump cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein and means connecting' said. meter: with said pivoted cleaner.

6. In a trenching machine the combination of a frame, a boom mounted to swing with respect to said name, an endless series of digging and conveying buckets mounted for longitudinal travel with respect to said boom, said buckets being adapted when at a predetermined point of said travel to tilt into dumping position, an elongated cleaner pivotally mounted on one end thereof on said boom, and adapted to present its opposite end in position to pass successively through said buckets while the latter are in dl'irnping position, an hydro-pneumatic mechanism mounted on said boom between its ends, including a pump cylinder and piston reciprocating therein, and means connecting said piston to said cleaner intermediate its ends, whereby the latter will be yieldingly controlled while passlng' through the buckets by the resistance encounhated by said piston in said cylinder.

7. In a trenching machine the combination of a frame, a boom mounted to swing with respect to said frame, an endless series of digging and conveying buckets mounted for longitudinal travel with respect to said boom, said buckets being adapted when at a predetermined point of said travel to tilt into dumping position, an elongated cleaner plvotally mounted on one end thereof on said boom 'on a pivot parallel with the pivot of said boom but beneath and somewhat forward of the latter, the said cleaner having an upper extended end in position to pass successively through said buckets While the latter are in dumping position, and having its lower end curved counter-clockwise about said boom pivot to permit swinging of the upper end of the cleaner downwardly and rearwardly away from said boom pivot, an hydro-pneumatic mechanism mounted on said boom between its ends, including a pumpcylinder and piston reciprocating therein, and means connecting said piston to an intermediate point on said cleaner, whereby the latter will yieldingly resist a counterclockwise swinging movement on its pivot while the opposite end thereof passes through the buckets in their travel on said boom. 7

8. In a trenching machine, the combination of a frame, a boom mounted to swing with respect to said name, an endless series of digging and conveying buckets mounted for longitudinal travel with "resp ct to said boom, said buckets being adapted at a predetermined point of said travel to tilt into dumping position, an elongated cleaner pivotally mounted on one end thereof on said when yielding by impact with the bucket contents, receding in a path diverging from the path of the buckets, and an hydro-pneumatic mechanism mounted on said boom to yieldingly resist movement of said cleaner away from its normal position, said mechanism including drums having parallel axes and a restricted communicating opening between their lower ends, one of said drums serving as a pump cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, and means connecting said piston with said pivoted cleaner.

AUGUSTUS J. PENOTE. 

